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Nucleic acids
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Nucleic Acids
Information
storage
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proteins
DNA
Nucleic Acids
Function:
genetic material
stores information
genes
blueprint for building proteins
DNA RNA proteins
transfers information
blueprint for new cells
blueprint for next generation
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A
A
A
A
T
C
G
C
G
T
G
C
T
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Nucleic Acids
Examples:
RNA (ribonucleic acid)
single helix
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
double helix
Structure:
monomers = nucleotides
RNA DNA
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Nucleotides
3 parts
nitrogen base (C-N ring)
pentose sugar (5C)
ribose in RNA
deoxyribose in DNA
phosphate (PO
4
) group
Are nucleic acids
charged molecules?
Nitrogen base
Im the
A,T,C,G or U
part!
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Types of nucleotides
2 types of nucleotides
different nitrogen bases
purines
double ring N base
adenine (A)
guanine (G)
pyrimidines
single ring N base
cytosine (C)
thymine (T)
uracil (U)
Purine = AG
Pure silver!
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Nucleic polymer
Backbone
sugar to PO
4
bond
phosphodiester bond
new nucleotide added to sugar
of previous nucleotide
polymer grows in one direction
N bases hang off the
sugar-phosphate backbone
Dangling bases?
Why is this important?
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Pairing of nucleotides
Nucleotides bond between
DNA strands
H bonds
purine :: pyrimidine
A :: T
2 H bonds
G :: C
3 H bonds
Matching bases?
Why is this important?
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DNA molecule
Double helix
H bonds between bases
join the 2 strands
A :: T
C :: G
H bonds?
Why is this important?
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Copying DNA
Replication
2 strands of DNA helix are
complementary
have one, can build other
have one, can rebuild the
whole
Matching halves?
Why is this
a good system?
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When does a cell copy DNA?
When in the life of a cell does DNA have
to be copied?
cell reproduction
mitosis
gamete production
meiosis
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DNA replication
It has not escaped our notice that
the specific pairing we have
postulated immediately suggests a
possible copying mechanism for the
genetic material.
James Watson
Francis Crick
1953
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Watson and Crick and others
1953 | 1962
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Maurice Wilkins and
1953 | 1962
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Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958)
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Interesting note
Ratio of A-T::G-C
affects stability
of DNA molecule
2 H bonds vs. 3 H bonds
biotech procedures
more G-C =
need higher T to
separate strands
high T organisms
many G-C
parasites
many A-T (dont know why)
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Another interesting note
ATP
Adenosine triphosphate
+ +
modified nucleotide
adenine (AMP) + P
i
+ P
i
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